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Question: What should I use to kill bad worms? - Roberta

Anne Clapp: In the winter you hand pick and destroy all the “bags” on the plant. When the worms in the bag first appear (in May) spray with malathion or liquid Sevin. You can also spray with the organic material bT when you see the worms opening and closing the bags.

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Question: We have fruitless mulberry tree that its leaves have started to turn yellow. It is July. Are we watering too much?

Anne Clapp: It probably depends on how long the mulberry has been in the ground. A newly planted tree should be watered once a week during the first year it is in the ground. After that point it should have a root system to get it through the summer unless we have a severe drought. Plants can also lose leaves from too much water in the ground. The signs of drought and flooding are similar. By July I would expect some yellowing of leaves on a mulberry.

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Question: I have recently planted cana lilies and they have gotten lots of holes in the leaves. What insect might be the culprit, and what should I use to stop them? Judy

Anne Clapp: The insect is called a canna leaf roller. I filmed a “For Your Garden” segment on them last year. In the fall cut off all canna foliage to the ground and destroy it. Sometimes spraying Sevin on the new growth that unfurls in the spring will help control it. The caterpillar is inside the rolled leaf so it is hard to get to it with sprays. The organic control is bT, the bacillus infects the leaf roller.

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Question: Hi Anne, Hope you can help me with this BIG PROBLEM. I purchased a new home last year that has bermuda grass and sandy soil (Fuquay Varina). I had large flower beds made by a landscape company. They tilled, conditioned, and mulched the soil. I had many perennials that I brought from my old home and was able to get planted late in the summer. I was totally unaware of the PROBLEM I would have with the bermuda grass. Right now, my beds have as much bermuda as plants. I have been spraying with round-up. I have noticed that even where the grass has been sprayed, and the runners are dying, there is still some green life on the runners, and they are still continuing to take root. Do you have any suggestions? Right now, everyday when I walk out in my beds, I feel as if the grass is just multiplying very rapidly. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I am open to any suggestions you may have. Thanks so much.

Anne Clapp: Bermuda grass is hard to get rid of and I am surprised you would even attempt to use Round-up in a flower bed. I kill more perennials than grass – even when I just “paint” the Round-up on with a brush. Grass-be-Gone or other grass herbicides containing fluzifop will kill grassy weeds in flower beds. The product called Turflon ester, which was designed to kill Bermuda grass in a Fescue lawn, will control Bermuda with a bit of persistence in its use.

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Question: Dear Ann: I live in Mississippi and all my trees and shrubs in my yard are being covered by this dry rough looking growth. Some one said it was a fungus and I needed to spray it with something only in the winter, but they couldn't remember what. I was told that it would eventually kill all the plants.Most all the plants have been in my yard for years and this fungus has been showing up the last couple of years. Do you know what it is, how to kill it or where it might have come from? I have also been told that you would get this if you had a redbud tree in your yard, which I have. Please help. Thank you.

Anne Clapp: I think you are getting a lot of misinformation. The best source of information on identifying the problem and finding a cure is from the cooperative extension service in your county. I do not think the redbud has anything to do with the dry rough growth. It is very unlikely that the growth is going to kill all the plants in your yard.

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Question: Hi Anne, I was wondering what kind of vegetables you would recommend planting now in late July or early August in Dallas, TX. ? Great service and website. Thank you for you help. Les J.

Anne Clapp: A late crop of tomatoes from transplants will have time to bear fruit. Green beans planted from seed still have time to produce a crop. Squash still have time to mature. By mid-August plants of broccoli and cauliflower may still have time to mature by frost.

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Question: We planted a Little Gem Magnolia in full sun this past spring, in Richmond, VA. It has been flowering and has much new growth at the top. There is a bare spot on the base in the back of the tree that was there when we purchased it. How can we encourage new growth to fill in this area?

Anne Clapp: There is no way to assure the bare spot will ever fill in. Tip pruning to keep the plant smaller may encourage a new branch to fill in the spot. Don't make the mistake of using fertilizer to push new growth; that seems to encourage existing top growth to expand and discourage lower branches from developing.

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Question: Hi Anne, I have a Daphne that I planted according to the instructions last fall. It is about 8 feet from one that is in decline after more than 15 years of healthy growth. It did very well over the winter and this spring but lately some leaves started turning yellow on some lower branches. I asked about this at the garden center where I bought it and they said that I should avoid watering and fertilizing (I only used a small amount of fertilizer for acid-loving plants and had not watered heavily). In the last couple of weeks, more leaves yellowed and most are starting to droop. Since it had been so hot and dry, I gave it one good watering just a couple of days ago. Now the yellow leaves are turning very dark and all leaves are drooping somewhat. The upper leaves are still looking healthy, however. I returned to the garden center and spoke with another person who said to water it some more and fertilize it! I now feel completely confused! I know that Daphne's are tricky but it is in an excellent location of rich, well-drained soil and mostly shade. Please advise. Thanks, Jack B.

Anne Clapp: It is not unusual for Daphnes to lose leaves in late spring or early summer as new growth appears on the plant. As long as the leaves that are being lost are the ones closest to the trunk it is usually just “old age”. Daphnes do need excellent drainage and they will not tolerate wet feet. When temperatures hover near 100 degrees they do need watering if they have not had rain. If the leaves look wilted in the morning it is usually a sign of drought so they do need watering.

It is possible that the plant has a fungal disease. Some control can be achieved by picking off and destroying the yellow leaves and then spray the plant with Mancozeb.

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Question: Anne, What can you pour over tree stumps to prevent them from regrowing? I had several trees cut along my fence line last year and this year they are spouting. I don't mind the stumps, just don't want them to regrown. Betty

Anne Clapp: I have always found that painting the stump of a newly cut tree with Roundup at the diluted strength for woody plants works well in preventing regrowth. It will also help to spray the new growth on the stumps you have that are resprouting with Roundup.

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Question: Dear Anne: I have a beautiful Confederate Rose Tree that is about 3 years old. Right now it has many many yellow leaves on it and they drop off. What is happening? Thank you. Jeanette

Anne Clapp: Usually yellow leaves on hibiscus such as Confederate Rose are a sign of dry weather. Is the plant getting enough water? There is also a possibility that there is a spider mite infestation on the plant. Look on the back of the leaves to see if there are any signs of a fine cobweb. Washing with insecticidal soap will usually take care of that problem.

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Question: At the end of June I planted four 15 gallon Crepe Myrtles that get full sun. Since it is the summer time I have been watering them every day for around 15 minutes on each tree and now quite a number of the leaves are turning yellow and dropping off. I know that this means overwatering but would like to know if you think that they can overcome this? Is there any thing that i can do to help them? Thanks, Brenda

Anne Clapp: Those crepe myrtles are drowning. They may be able to overcome the problem if you stop watering them so frequently. Once a week watering when we do not get rain is usually sufficient if the plants are watered in well when they are planted. Do not fertilize the plants until next spring.

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Question: I live in New Jersey. I have a gardinia in a 2 gallon pot. Plant has overgrow.n I would like to prune it. At this time it flowers and is outdoors. Should I wait til fall? Or can it be pruned anytime? Would appreciate any info that you may have. Thank you. A.B.

Anne Clapp: The correct time to prune a gardenia is after it has finished blooming. If the plant has been in the same pot for more than two years you may need to repot the plant. The best time to repot a gardenia is in the spring when you are ready to take it back outside.

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Question: Anne, I have a newly planted cleveland pear which is splitting on the tops of the branches. The leaves also have cuts in them. It is showing signs of growth at the top. The tree planter blames it on my soil but this was just planted a month ago. I have been keeping track of watering on a calendar so they couldn't blame it on that. 5 gal bucket or 20 min if it hasn't rained in a week. He came and looked at it and said he didn't see any splitting but he must be purposely blinding his eyes.

Anne Clapp: The symptoms you describe have nothing to do with the watering of the plant. Cuts in leaves are usually from mechanical damage to a plant, such as humans doing pruning or cats sharpening claws. Are you sure you know the difference between natural roughness of bark and splitting which would produce oozing sap. Sometimes bark on plants will split from heat from the sun. Some landscapers wrap trunks or branches with a soft tape or fabric or paint the limbs with whitewash if plants are put directly in full sun.

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Question: Dear Anne, I was given a lovely gardenia plant for Mother's Day this year..It had nice green buds..then they turned black and dry..and fell off... I try not to water too much or too little..I have always had a "green thumb"..and can just about grow anything..but this stumps me...I just noticed that another tiny bud is forming..but the stem part and the tiny leaves around the bud are black and dead looking...I have it in a big pot..near my kitchen window..that has the early morning sun for a couple of hours. Also sometimes...I find a few leaves that have also turned black...What am I doing wrong..if anything or is the plant diseased? It looks healthy and is growing..Thank you....

Anne Clapp: Gardenias are a semi-tropical plant that thrives and blooms in full sun and warm temperatures. It will probably be much happier where it gets at least 6 hours of sun and temperatures approach 80 degrees. Black leaves are usually a sign of an insect such as white flies or aphids that leave a film of “honeydew” on the surface of leaves. The honeydew molds and turns black. You can wash the leaf residue off with soapy water.

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Question: Hi Anne, I have several Dianthus Ruby Tuesdays that I planted last year. This spring, they produced abundant beautiful red carnation appearing flowers that absolutely lit up my rock garden. I have faithfully pinched off the flowers after they died, but know the flowers have dwindled to almost nothing. Many of the recent buds browned out and died before blooming. My soil is very sandy, so I have watered them several times a week. Recently, I trimed back the flower (less) stalks, hoping to regenerate some flower reblooming. Do you have any suggestions? Regards, Tom G.

Anne Clapp: Dianthus blooms in the spring or early summer depending on the geographic location of your garden. They may bloom as long as 6 weeks if temperatures do not get too hot. We keep them deadheaded to reduce the seeds formed and to keep the plant looking neat. I would expect dianthus to be going dormant during the heat of summer.

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Question: Hi Anne: I have several daylily plants and one of them recently turned all brown. Upon further inspection, there are a bunch of tiny little white bugs all over the bottom stems and the soil. What might this be, how can I get rid of it and will it come back? I cut back the plant down to the ground and used pressured water to rinse them off but I'm concerned that I did not really get rid of them.

Anne Clapp: Daylillies are starting to turn brown at this time of year. I pull off the old foliage and bloom spikes to keep insects from building up in the plants and to keep them from mildewing if there is too much rain. New foliage usually develops to provide nutrients to the underground roots.

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Question: I live in Winston Salem, NC. I recently built a patio at my house and was interested in putting some type of grass in the grout cracks of the pavers. I dont want to trim the grass, and would like something that can withstand sun during the majority of the day. Do you have any suggestions? By the way, Winston-Salem is zone 7a I think, maybe 7b.

Anne Clapp: I don't know of a true grass that would work well as a ground cover between pavers. Some plant material that might work would be dwarf mondo grass, creeping thyme, creeping veronica and Lysimachia (creeping Jennie).